Disclaimer: Digimon is copyrighted by Akiyoshi Hongo and is produced by Toei Animation, Disney, and Bandai. The plot and any possible fancharacters produced in this story belong to me, and no profit is being distributed in any way.


Next Week

Prelude

After an extra fifteen minutes of tickling, Gatomon could no longer walk. Her paws felt sore, and her ears drooped. Yet, as content as possible, she leapt back onto the bed and pranced around. Finally, after encircling the top part of the bed, she curled herself up into a ball, closed her eyes, and began to breathe calmly while purring loudly simultaneously.

As she slept, Kari spent the rest of her time fixing up her essay. It was a long paper, dealing about how D-503 from We felt real, like a human itself amongst the "pure," dystopian government. She read the lines continuously back and forth, proofreading and spellchecking each word and sentence.

"Nah!" she said and retyped the line. "Much better."

She glanced down at her small book that lay open beside her and turned to one of the last journal chapters. As she revised her essay, she mumbled the words written from the book.

"Okay, perfect," she said under her breath. "Now, write the conclusion…"

She scrolled to the bottom of her essay and typed it up. As her fingers jolted back and forth, locating each character as she jabbed a finger on the correct keys, an echo reverberated inside her room. However, Kari maintained focus on her iMac and essay, not caring about the sound possibly waking anybody up.

"Wait," she said, stopping. "That doesn't sound right. Lemme try again."

She altered the sentence.

"Much better."

She resumed typing her conclusion. One finger hit this; another hit that, continuing the furious clash of typing on the keyboard. As she typed, Gatomon turned around and then curled up in a ball again. Her white ears fluttered, but she kept her eyes closed, and her breathing remained calm.

At last, Kari stopped typing, saved it, and leaned back with a sigh. "Finished. Finally."

A little beep erupted from inside the top drawer on her left.

"The D-Terminal!"

She opened it and pulled out the device. When she opened the flap, she noticed an e-mail in her inbox.

"Hmm, I wonder," she whispered and opened it.


Hi, love! It's Catherine!

I just want to know how well you're doing in school.

Also, are you excited about our date next week? I'm sure you are.

I hope to see you soon. Love you!

Catherine Yager

P.S.: I'm logging onto TPhone soon. Do you want to videoconference on there? Reply soon!


Kari pressed "Reply" and began to type back.


Hi, Catherine! Good to talk to you again! School's doing great. Part one of my trimester is finishing next Friday.

Yes, I can't WAIT for our date! We're going to have a great time there. I promise.

I'll be on my TPhone, too. I'll be logging in a minute.

Hugs and kisses, Kari Kamiya


She grabbed two remote controls and rolled herself towards the HD TV. She put one of them down and turned the television on with one of them. Next, she put the TV remote down on the table and picked up the videoconference one instead. She pressed the "Power" button, activating it, and then played with the rest of the controls until a dark green screen replaced the program.

After finding the screen, Kari put down the TPhone remote and sat still, waiting and hoping for Catherine to log on.

Finally, a little rectangle popped out, and the device beeped softly. Beep… Beep… Beep…

After the third beep, a room replaced the green screen. The background walls were white, and peaking from above was the corner of a rectangular crystal.

"Catherine?" Kari wondered when her girlfriend did not appear on the screen. "Are you there?"

Nothing.

But not for long…

"Hi, Kari!"

A face peaked out from the bottom of the TV. The girl was pale-skinned with blonde hair trailing down behind her. She wore a dark red shirt with a white trim along the hem of the neck.

Kari rolled back a bit from shock. "Catherine, you scared me!"

The teen from the screen blinked slowly. "Did I? Sorry." The corners of her smile curled a little. "Then again, you're very cute when scared."

Kari blushed; Catherine giggled.

"Next time, I'll scare you a bit."

"Maybe next time." Catherine then sat down on a bench not seen on the screen. "So, good evening!"

"Good morning," replied Kari, rolling a bit forward. "How's your day going today?"

"Doing great." Catherine played with a strand of her hair. "Had breakfast and did went out to the market to grab some fruit. What about you?"

"I just finished my essay for my writing class, and my other class projects are finished."

"So you're almost done?"

"Yep," said a happy Kari with a nod. "I only need to come to my classes and present my essay. Then I'm done until September."

"Ahh!" Catherine clasped her hands from excitement. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Cath," said Kari. "Your summer break seems to be doing well."

"Oui, it's fabulous!" she exclaimed. "No school till early September. Although my older TV broke and had to be fixed."

"Oh, I remember," said Kari. "You told me about that."

"I wasn't able to watch TV for a couple of days as it repaired. No drama, no tennis, nothing!"

"That sounds dreadful," said Kari. "Not able to watch TV, that is."

"No kidding," sighed Catherine exasperatedly. "Plus, that meant not being able to hook up my TPhone, either."

Kari winced.

"Hopefully, that won't happen again," added Catherine.

"Let's hope so," said Kari and looked at the calendar beside the TV. "After tonight, it's one day closer to our date. I can't wait!"

"Hey, that's MY line!"

"Uh-uh!"

"It is!"

"It's not!"

"It is!"

"It's not!"

"It's not!"

"It is!"

Kari froze and planted a hand on her face. "Oh, shoot!"

Catherine laughed hard. "I got you!"

"Yeah, you did." Kari shook her head back and forth and laughed, too.

Once the laughter subsided, Catherine said, "That's what I love about you, Kari. You're humble. Kind. Sweet. Yet a little sour. You know how to take a joke."

"Well, I don't know if I fit that description, but…thanks," said Kari, her hand off her head and blushing.

"Hey, why shouldn't you?" Catherine interjected. "You're a really nice and affectionate person. You care for those you love. Your family, friends, and your Digimon."

"And you, too, Catherine," reminded Kari. "That's what makes you special, too. Fun, happy, caring, and playful."

"Aw, Kari," said Catherine, blushing. "Thank you."

Kari smiled warmly. "You're welcome, sweetie. So, how's your cape? You've tried it on yet?"

"Oui. I'll get it out. Give me a minute."

Catherine looked down and reached her right arm out. Then came the sound of a drawer opening and light ruffling of clothing. At last, she pulled out a piece of glittery magenta clothing that included a collar and cufflinks that were crimson in color.

"Very beautiful, isn't it, Kari?" said the Frenchwoman.

"It is," replied Kari. "Put it on."

At the command, Catherine pushed herself back and stood up, allowing Kari to view the clothes she donned below her midriff. From her waist to her knees was a ruffled navy blue skirt with a pink hem and a red belt tightened around the belly to hold it up. Finally, her legs sported black pantyhose.

While holding onto the collar, Catherine let go the rest of the cape, allowing it to fall down. Instead of being balled up, it shone and glistened in the light. She let go with one of the hands and allowed the top of the cape to twirl over her head and land on her shoulders. To make sure it was secure around her neck, she tugged the ends slightly. Kari was no psychic, but she could feel that Catherine thought, Good, before resuming. Next, she grabbed the magenta buckle pieces that dangled on both ends, clipped them on, and pulled the strap to make it snug.

"You look beautiful," said Kari while leaning on her elbow.

Catherine giggled and winked with her left eye. "Now if only I can remember… Oh."

She touched one of cape's wings and pulled it towards her. Then, with her other hand holding onto the cuff, she slid her hand through and stopped at the wrist. Finally, she repeated the steps for her opposite arm.

When she finished, she spread her arms out like a butterfly extending its wings.

Kari gasped. "Wow… that's wonderful!"

Catherine blushed. "Thanks, love." She looked down to see herself dance her arms around. The tiny disks on her winged cape flowed back and forth in the wind she created.

"You remind me of my angel, Cath," Kari blurted out, causing her lover to look back at the TV. "And that angel…is you."

"And you're my angel, Kari," Catherine replied gently.

Both girls quieted as they stared at "each other" via the videoconference. There was no movement from either of them, just small blinks and light tinting of the cheeks.

"So, what about your cape, Kari?"

Kari leaned upwards, her mouth in the shape of a small "O," and her eyes blinked quicker.

"Oh, yeah, my cape." She shook her head. "Sorry, Cath. I forgot about it. Should I put it on?"

"Well, I have mine on, so…oui," chimed Catherine.

Kari shrugged with a grin. "Okay, then."

Grasping the sides of the chair firmly, she stood up and began walking towards her bed drawers—

Then Catherine wolf-whistled, and she stopped walking. Her feet planted hard on the floor, leaning on her right one more than her left. Big, brown irises shrunk into dots, and her mouth released a small squeak. Slowly, she looked back and glared at Catherine. But her girlfriend did nothing, except look from the lower part of her blue eyes.

At first, Kari suspected nothing. But she soon noticed her eyes. Innocent, but clever. Not wavering like a coward. Persistent. So, following her irises, Kari looked down, and realization hit her.

Her backside was facing the screen!

Kari spat out laughter at once. "Catherine, you may be sweet, but you're really naughty, too!"

Catherine shrugged. "Hey, I can't help it! I love your bottom!"

Kari giggled, her smile a stain on her face. When she stopped, she looked back at the screen, put her hands on her waist, and began to swing her backside back and forth. As she danced, her skirt flapped and twirled, contacting any part of her upper-legs as possible.

As Kari swung, Catherine said, "I can play that game, too," and briefly rocked her shoulders, creating a miniature shimmy in the process.

But soon, Kari stopped shaking her hips and eyed the drawer.

But I'm not done yet, she thought with a wry grin.

With her right hand on her waist, she slowly strutted towards the drawer. But it was not a normal walk: Each time she touched her foot on the ground, she bounced her hips, causing her school skirt to flutter again.

"Hurry up, Kari! You're torturing me!"

Kari snickered and said nothing. When she reached the drawers under the bed, she bent down and opened it, all the while making sure the shape of her bottom faced the TV. Even with the drawer open, the girl made her "search" very slow, moving one piece of cloth at a time. All the while, she lightly bounced up and down and hummed a happy tune.

As she teased her, Catherine panted a bit harder, and she chuckled. "Okay, Catherine, you win! Here!"

She pulled out her cape, shut the drawer, and walked back towards the screen while holding it out like someone displaying a dress shirt. The cape glittered a light pink, and the cuffs and collar were purple.

"Wonderful, Catherine, isn't it?" she said while peaking down at it.

"Oui, it is," said Catherine and dabbed her forehead with a tissue. "You may hold the Crest of Light, but you play like the devil!"

"If I did," snickered Kari, "then I don't want to be good again!"

Catherine grinned evilly. "I hope so."

"HEY!"

Chuckling from Catherine followed. "So, when will you put it on?"

Kari "Oh'd" in reply and grasped on the collar with one hand. Then she twirled it around, grabbing the other end of the collar, and placed it on her shoulders. After checking it to see that it was snug, she slinked her wrists through the cuffs. Finally, she clasped the shoulder buckles and secured it by pulling on the strap.

When she finished, she spun around while holding her arms out. "So, how do I look?"

"…Beautiful…" was her slow, stunned reply.

"Thanks." Kari sat down. "Well…that was fun."

"Oui, Kari, oui." Catherine nodded. "And we will have more fun at our date."

"I'm very sure of that," agreed Kari and then heard her door open. She looked left and asked, "Where are you going, Gatomon?"

"Getting some pumpkin cake," replied Gatomon and walked out.

"Pumpkin cake?" Catherine scratched the left side of her face. "What's that?"

"It's a bundt cake," she answered. "Delicious pumpkin puree mixed with cranberries, spices, nuts, and a sweet maple frosting.

Catherine wanted to lick her lips. "That sounds good."

"Oui, it is."

"Hey, you're speaking my language!"

"Well, if it weren't for you, I would not be able to speak it."

Catherine giggled. "Gosh, I'd love a piece of that cake."

"Ha-ha. I'm sure you do," said Kari.

Silence…

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Kari?"

Kari nodded. "Yup! You, me, Dragon Eye Lake, right?"

Catherine nodded with a hum. "Fifteen minutes good enough for you to change and get some cake?" she asked.

"Perfect! Wanna consider this a pre-date, then?"

"With you, Kari, any day I see you is a date."

"Oh, Catherine!"

The blonde smiled and took off her cape. "See you there, love."

"Bye, Catherine," replied Kari and blew a kiss.

Once the videoconference ended, Kari took off her cape, put it back in the drawer, and went to get some pumpkin cake…


Nightfall in File Island was a beautiful time. It felt neither hot nor cold. The temperature was perfect! It was calm and tranquil. No clouds floated in the sky — just the stars and the moon. Dirt and sand covered the naked incline. At the far corners, the land curled in a half-circle, creating a small lake within. The water looked clean; it sparkled and remained a dark, pure blue. It reflected the nighttime sky, too, and swayed gently onto the shore. Away from the beach stood a forest that was quiet albeit dark. The leaves rustled in the breeze, providing the extra serenity the scene provided.

Kari sat there, too, leaning on one of the trees. Her school clothes were gone, replaced by normal attire. She wore a sleeveless white shirt with a red undershirt covering her arms. A pink necklace that included a pendant carved and shaped in the old Crest of Light dangled down. Her leg wear was a pair of black jeans cuffed upward at the ankles and was held up by a white belt. Last, pink shoes with matching socks covered her feet and ankles.

As she watched the moonlight, she held onto a container that had two slices of the pumpkin cake inside. No way would she let her little surprise disappear or be ruined whatsoever, she thought!

So it was not a true date. It didn't matter! Being with Catherine was all she cared about. The "real" date could wait another week. Oh, wait, it was next week. But it should be fun, she guaranteed it.

Suddenly, she heard soft footsteps from her right and looked.

Catherine, in the same attire from the videoconference, walked towards her.

"Hi, love," Catherine said and sat down.

Kari put the container behind her. "Good evening."

She crawled towards her, closed her eyes, and planted a soft kiss on Catherine's lips. Catherine never budged; she nudged closer and wrapped her arms around Kari, soaking in the moment.

Finally, they let go.

"You look even greater in real life," said Catherine and pecked Kari's lips again.

"You, too," said Kari and kissed her again. "I got the cake."

"Good," replied Catherine. "May I have some?"

Kari reached back, grabbed the container, and opened it. Inside were two slices lying on top of two paper plates. The cakes were a dark orange that had specks of spices and ground nuts. The frosting that covered the top was a pale umber.

Kari picked up the top plate up and carefully put it down. Next, she grabbed the empty plate along with two plastic forks. She put that down beside it and then scooped up one of the pieces and placed it on the bare plate.

"Bon appétit."

Catherine chuckled from Kari's new usage of French and carried the plate onto her lap. She cut up a piece, made sure some of the frosting was on it, and put in her mouth.

The girl chewed slowly to allow the richness of the cake to take over her mouth, and then she swallowed it.

"This is so good, Kari!" she exclaimed. "Rich, flavorful! The spices enhance the flavor. This is delicious!"

Kari blushed a deep shade of red. "Aw, thank you."

Catherine chuckled and continued eating. Kari watched her and, while eating, never wavered her brown eyes off her. A smile stained the Japanese girl's face, and she shook her head gently. She really loves it. I should make it again for the others.

Soon, the blonde finished it.

"This is really rich, Kari," she said and put her fork down on the plate. "I'm already full."

"That's what happened the first time I had it," said Kari and took another nibble of the cake. "It's a very dense cake. Not like some, which are very airy. This has a lot of nutrients in it, and it's full of flavor. I don't know how to say it, but…it dances in your mouth and fills you up. It's a very great treat."

"It's one of the best desserts I've had EVER! How'd you get it?"

"You remember Alex, one of Mimi's friends from America?"

Catherine nodded.

"Well, his mom's a great cook, and the cake's one of his most favorite desserts," she explained. "So he gave me the recipe."

"Interesting," said Catherine. "Maybe someday we can bring them to the Digital World and have a nice, big picnic together."

"That sounds like fun," interjected Kari.

"So, are you going to finish that last piece of cake?" interrupted Catherine and pointed at Kari's piece. One piece of the cake remained on the plate.

The DigiDestined of Light looked at it. Heavy, flavorful, and filling. It looked so good even at a crumbled state.

But it was hers…

Bang!

She stabbed the last piece with her fork and put it in her mouth. When she did, though, Catherine whined softly and displayed a sad look on her face.

Kari chuckled and shook her head from the reaction. Still loves to be a kid.

She extended her right arm, brought Catherine's head closer, and kissed her on the lips again. Their mouths opened, and their tongues played with each other. All the while, the taste of the last piece of cake floated into Catherine's mouth.

When they let go, Kari licked her own lips, and Catherine swallowed the cake.

"Mmmm… Best piece yet," chortled Catherine.

Kari put the plates in the container and pushed it aside. "I'm very glad you loved it." She reached out and caressed Catherine's hand. "Wanna have seconds?"

Catherine nudged herself closer and touched one of Kari's strands of hair. "I'd love it."

Smiles on their faces, they leaned forward, closed their eyes, and kissed once more. Everything around them quieted. No wind rustled. The water did not splash. And any chirping from possible bugs or birds stopped. The world Kari and Catherine entered was pure bliss. Replacing the serenity of Dragon Eye Lake was a cloud. No ground. No danger. Where no one got angry and killed each other. The light sparkled blue, and the only thing interfering was one fluffy cloud…

Yet, that was welcomed! It squished and bounced back like rubber, remaining stubborn in the sky. The cloud wanted to enter, and it stayed. No pressure from Mother Nature or anything else would stop it!

Then, it opened, and two girls peaked their heads out: one blonde-haired and one brown-haired. They snuggled inside in a tight hug, not eager to let go, and an aura of pink and crimson illuminated the sky. Their lips clasped on each other as tightly as a key locking a door. The cloud blanketed every part of their bodies from the neck down, only exposing their heads, arms, and bare toes.

"Don't let go, Catherine," whispered Kari once they stopped kissing. "Ever."

"I promise, Kari," Catherine whispered back, and they kissed again.

At last, they went back into virtual reality. No longer were they on cloud nine, or at least dreamt of it. They still lay on the ground, snuggling with each other. Kari nestled her tiny nose on Catherine's neck and kissed it, making her groan. The seventeen-year-old blonde kept her eyes shut as she panted from Kari's sensual touching of her lips around the neck. She wanted to handle the excitement. She was sure of it.

Unfortunately, she stopped playing with her neck and crawled up to her face.

"That…was…magnificent…" panted Catherine, her chest thumping for oxygen.

Kari crawled and lip-locked again. "We'll do more next week."

Catherine nodded. "A lot more."

Like a snail, they stood up, and Kari packed up her container.

As the sixteen-year-old Japanese teen began to leave, Catherine said, "Goodnight, Kari."

Kari turned back, walked, stood before her, gently replied, "Goodnight, Cath," and pecked her one more time before walking back into the forest.

When Catherine returned home, she collapsed onto her bed. Seeing Kari was fun, she thought, but it was very tiring, too! Paris was still under bright daylight, and she felt so sore and exhausted already! Maybe there was a price to pay for deep affection for someone who lived in another timezone—

Damn, it feels so good when we meet!

No regrets. Only pride and satisfaction.

She turned around, rested on the bed back-first, and watched the lights from the chandelier flicker. They looked like they were going to die out, but they were still there, only glowing as steadily as possible. Like stubborn children eager to get the way they want it. As she recollected herself, she did nothing but count each bulb in the chandelier. No biggie. No reason to. Only taking time to count it like counting sheep while sleeping. One near, another beside, and continue the process. Then find out how many crystals dangled if there were any.

How boring.

Groaning, she pushed the top half of herself up and looked ahead.

—She eyed the cape.

There it was. It glittered magenta in the light from the chandelier and the sunlight through the window. And it hung from a measly plastic coat hanger! Blasphemy! This was no way to treat a glorious, soon-to-be-worn piece of wardrobe for next week's date!

The date…

Catherine stood up, walked around the bed, and caressed her cape. Many of the minute disks spun some on the touch. Then, with a careful gesture, she took it off the hanger.

A smile etched her face. Boy, would she kiss Kari again if she had to.

And next week, I am!

She folded it with care to make sure it did not wrinkle and put it slowly in the drawer.